Thumb sucking develops in young children as a coping mechanism. Like a pacifier, children often suck on their thumbs as a way to self-soothe. While this natural habit can be useful during infancy and in the early toddler years, if it goes on too long, it can cause serious problems in your child’s dental development.
If thumb sucking continues long enough, it can even cause social problems if other kids begin to make fun of the child, anxiety if the child hasn’t developed other ways to self-soothe, and even sickness. For assistance, you can purchase thumb sucking prevention devices online.
Why my son started to suck his / her thumb?
Children find their mothers in the early months of childhood as they explore their bodies and the environment. Many babies will experiment with your finger and thumb sucking them. Some even prefer their thumb on the dot. Such as pacifiers, thumb gives something to suck, that is how babies naturally soothe themselves.
Should I give my baby a pacifier to prevent thumb sucking?
While we know that people have strong feelings about the dot and many nursing mothers will have to wait to introduce the pacifier until their care routine and safe milk supply, we recommend that the dot over the thumb.
What age does my child need to stop thumb sucking?
While earlier is better, we suggest that all children stop sucking their thumbs at the age of three, because this is when their teeth are in and damage their growth can really start to happen. Some children are very aggressive suckers, bruised palate or blistering their thumbs.